


Puzzling

by kristin



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 1, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-13
Updated: 2011-03-13
Packaged: 2017-10-16 22:38:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/170148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristin/pseuds/kristin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>River Song finds something to help her solve a riddle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puzzling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iceshade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceshade/gifts).



River didn't like to be confused. It was source of comfort to her that the feeling wasn't an issue for her very often. Clever genes, her mother always said. _Clever me_ was what River had always told herself in response.

She loved puzzles of all types and sizes. Had always liked answers that fit into neat little boxes and twisty solutions that really made you stretch your mind. Maths, usually, when she was younger.

River had never been much of a linguist, not that you would know it now. She had worked at it, wrote down unfamiliar words 50 times all in a row until the word cemented itself into her vocabulary. Always hand written, of course. No neat muscle memory gained when you used one of the pads, which is why, right at this moment, she was here. (Beyond the obvious facts of her conception and upbringing, of course.)

Because while Shrenfgh was rather hard for humanity to handle, the Shrenfghi did make beautiful paper goods, and River wasn't going to let a heavy atmosphere stand in her way. Not when she was looking for something so crucial.

For River Song had just discovered another puzzle which she couldn't quite grasp her head around. And it travelled in the blue box.

She lifted her whole hand to point to the item she had in mind. (The natives of this planet had grown without digits on their hands and considered drawing attention to fingers to be quite beyond the pale. But the things they could do with their feet were rather marvellous.) "How much?"

"Ah, good choice, choosing that design." The shop keeper swivelled its eyestalk to peer at her as it lifted its foot to grab the item in question from among the racks of blank books covering the walls of its market booth.

"How so?" Even those Shrenfghi who dealt with outsiders more, didn’t often share information with them. This could be interesting indeed.

"It’s good luck to keep the symbol of the Timeless," it said.

 _More like too much time, if I am right _thought River to herself, tracing the imprinted cover of the journal. "The Timeless?" she prompted.__

"You don't know the story of how the Timeless came and rid this planet of the radiation and freed us from the Sontarans?" It's eyes widened and it's skin edged into violet. Shock, if she remembered her Shrenfghi biology.

River smiled and opened to the first page of the journal, pulling her pen from her coat pocket. "No, but would you mind telling me? It might be another piece of my puzzle."  


  


**Author's Note:**

> Image is just what I was picturing when I created the Shrenfgh planet.


End file.
